Touch down, ship the bags, and chase lantern light
Senso-ji Temple at Night
Touch down in Tokyo and hit the ground walking. Ship your big suitcases ahead to Kyoto via Takuhaibin (genius move — travel light for the next week with just backpacks). Take the airport train to Asakusa, your Tokyo home base. By 7:30 PM, the massive red lanterns of Senso-ji Temple glow like beacons through the warm night air. Grab casual yakitori on the walk back. Welcome to Japan.
Nakamise-dori
Nakamise-dori
Tokyo After Dark
Tokyo after dark
Yakitori
First night yakitori
Arrive at Narita or Haneda. Use a Takuhaibin luggage forwarding counter at the airport to send large suitcases to your Kyoto hotel (¥2,000–3,000 per bag, arrives in 1–2 days). Take the airport train (~1 hour) to Asakusa. Check into hotel. Evening: 10-minute walk to Senso-ji Temple.
02
Thu · May 28
Ueno Park & Yanaka Old Town
Ease into Tokyo — pandas, parks, and the city's most charming backstreets
Ueno Park
Jet lag? What jet lag? Ease into your first full day with a relaxed stroll through Ueno Park — one of Tokyo's great green lungs. Visit the zoo (pandas!), rent a swan boat on Shinobazu Pond, or duck into the Tokyo National Museum for samurai armor and ancient scrolls. After lunch, walk north into Yanaka — Tokyo's most charming old-town neighborhood, where narrow lanes wind past temples, old-school sweet shops, and a legendary cat colony in the cemetery.
Ueno Park
Ueno Park
Yanaka
Yanaka backstreets
Yanaka Temples
Yanaka temples
Ueno is one stop from Asakusa on the Ginza Line (~3 mins). Ueno Park and Zoo are a 5-minute walk from the station. Yanaka is a 15-minute walk north of Ueno. The whole day is walkable — no complex transit needed. Perfect for jet-lag recovery.
03
Fri · May 29
Samurai Swords & Digital Art
Channel your inner warrior, then step into a mirror universe
teamLab
Morning: a real samurai sword class where the whole family learns to wield a katana with proper form and spirit. Afternoon: step into the mind-bending digital universe of teamLab. Wade through ankle-deep water as infinite flowers and fish swirl around you in mirrored rooms (bring shorts!). Evening: cross the world's most famous intersection at Shibuya Crossing, then dive into the candy-colored chaos of Harajuku's Takeshita Street.
Shibuya
Shibuya Crossing
Harajuku
Harajuku
Samurai
Samurai experience
Short 15–30 minute subway hops. Samurai class bookable online (reserve ahead). teamLab Planets in Toyosu — book timed tickets in advance. Shibuya and Harajuku are adjacent. Allow 2 hours for teamLab.
04
Sat · May 30
Fish Markets & Neon Arcades
Eat everything, bike the river, conquer the arcades
Tsukiji Market
Wake up hungry. Tsukiji Outer Market by 9 AM is a sensory overload of the best kind — fresh sushi, tamagoyaki, grilled scallops on sticks, melon pan, and mochi in every color. Graze your way through the narrow alleys. After, rent Docomo electric-assist bikes and cruise along the Sumida River. End the day in Akihabara where multi-story arcades offer rhythm games, crane machines, and retro classics.
Sushi
Tsukiji sushi
Akihabara
Akihabara
Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Tower from the river
Tsukiji is a short subway from Asakusa. Docomo bike share stations everywhere — register via app. Sumida River path is flat and family-friendly. Akihabara on the JR Yamanote Line. Arcades free to enter (pay per game).
Part 2
The Japanese Alps
May 31 – Jun 4 · 5 days
05
Sun · May 31
Bullet Trains & Giant Cedars
Watch Tokyo dissolve into rice paddies at 170 mph
Togakushi Cedar Path
Board the Hokuriku Shinkansen and watch Tokyo's skyscrapers dissolve into rice paddies and forested mountains at 170 mph. In Nagano, catch a bus into the highlands to Togakushi, where a 2-kilometer path through 400-year-old giant cedar trees leads to a hidden Shinto shrine. The trees are massive — some over 20 feet around. Then: shuriken throwing at the Togakure Ninja Village. Yes, real throwing stars.
Shinkansen
Hokuriku Shinkansen
Togakushi
Togakushi highlands
Subway to Ueno Station. Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano (1.5 hrs, JR Pass). Alpico bus to Togakushi Okusha (1 hr, ~¥1,500). Return bus to Nagano. Sleep in Nagano.
06
Mon · Jun 1
The Crow Castle
Face to face with one of Japan's last original castles
Matsumoto Castle
Take the Limited Express through mountain valleys to Matsumoto — your Alps base for three nights. Walk to Matsumoto Castle, nicknamed "Crow Castle" for its striking black exterior. One of only five original castles in Japan. Climb the impossibly steep wooden defensive ladders to the top floor for panoramic views of the surrounding Alps.
Alps Panorama
Alps panorama
Castle Details
Crow Castle up close
Limited Express Shinano from Nagano to Matsumoto (50 mins, JR Pass). Check into hotel (3 nights). Castle is 15 min walk from station.
07
Tue · Jun 2
The Nakasendo Trail
Walk the same mountain path that samurai traveled 400 years ago
Nakasendo Trail
Lace up your hiking boots. Today you walk the Nakasendo — one of the ancient highways connecting Kyoto to Edo during the feudal era. The 5-mile section from Magome to Tsumago winds through forested mountains, past waterfalls and rice paddies, between two perfectly preserved wooden post towns. Ring the bear bells along the trail. Tsumago feels like stepping back 400 years.
Tsumago
Tsumago post town
Waterfall
Trail waterfall
Forest Path
Nakasendo forest
Limited Express to Nakatsugawa (1 hr 15 min). Bus to Magome (25 min, ~¥600). Hike Magome → Tsumago (5 miles, 2–3 hrs, mostly downhill). Bus from Tsumago to Nagiso Station, train back to Matsumoto.
08
Wed · Jun 3
Kamikochi Alpine Valley
Japan's Yosemite — crystal rivers and 10,000-foot peaks
Kamikochi
Welcome to Japan's most pristine alpine valley. Kamikochi sits at 1,500 meters where the crystal-clear Azusa River winds beneath snow-capped peaks over 3,000 meters. Flat, family-friendly trails run alongside the river through pristine meadows. Cross the iconic Kappa Bridge, watch for wild macaques, and breathe some of the cleanest air on Earth.
Northern Alps
Northern Alps
Azusa River
Azusa River valley
Alpico train to Shin-Shimashima (30 min), bus to Kamikochi (1 hr). Private cars banned — bus only. Last bus out ~5 PM. Pack layers — cooler at altitude.
09
Thu · Jun 4
Matsumoto Chill Day
Soba noodles, frog statues, and zero obligations
Matsumoto Soba
You've earned a rest day. Wander Nawate Street — aka "Frog Street" — lined with quirky shops and frog statues. Browse the Matsumoto City Museum of Art featuring Yayoi Kusama. Or just find the perfect bowl of handmade soba noodles — Nagano is famous for buckwheat soba and Matsumoto has some of the best.
Nawate Street
Nawate “Frog Street”
No major transit. Everything walkable. Nawate Street and Nakamachi Street near the castle. Great soba: Kobayashi, Nomuraya.
Part 3
Kyoto & Ancient Culture
Jun 5 – 9 · 5 days
10
Fri · Jun 5
Mountains to the Geisha District
Two bullet trains deliver you to ancient Kyoto
Gion District
Two trains carry you from the Alps to Japan's cultural heart. Reunite with your forwarded suitcases at the Kyoto hotel! Spend the evening in Gion, Kyoto's geisha district, where paper lanterns flicker to life along stone-paved lanes at dusk. If you're lucky, spot a maiko hurrying to an appointment. End at Kiyomizu-dera Temple for sunset views.
Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera
Higashiyama
Higashiyama
Limited Express Shinano Matsumoto → Nagoya (2 hrs). Tokaido Shinkansen → Kyoto (35 min). Both JR Pass. Your Takuhaibin bags from Day 1 should be waiting at the hotel.
11
Sat · Jun 6
River Rapids & Monkeys
A scenic train, a wild boat ride, and macaques on a mountain
Bamboo Grove
Pure adventure day. Sagano Romantic Train through the Hozugawa gorge. Board a wooden boat and shoot the rapids — a thrilling 2-hour ride. Back in Arashiyama, hike up to Iwatayama Monkey Park where 120 wild macaques roam free while you survey all of Kyoto below.
Hozugawa River
Hozugawa River
Monkeys
Arashiyama monkeys
JR Sagano Line to Saga-Arashiyama (15 min). Sagano Romantic Train through gorge. Boat ride ends in Arashiyama. Monkey Park is 20 min uphill walk. Combine with Bamboo Grove (free).
12
Sun · Jun 7
10,000 Gates at Dawn
Set the alarm — Fushimi Inari is worth every lost minute of sleep
Fushimi Inari
Set your alarm for 5:45 AM. By 6:30, Fushimi Inari is nearly empty — just your family, the mountain, and thousands of vermillion torii gates tunneling up through the forest. The path climbs to the summit through a world of orange light and green shadow. 2-hour round trip. By the time you descend, the crowds arrive. You'll have had the whole mountain to yourselves.
Morning Light
Morning light through gates
Kitsune
Kitsune guardians
JR Nara Line to Inari Station (5 min, 2 stops). Shrine entrance right outside station. Arrive by 6:30 AM. Summit hike ~2 hrs round trip. Free.
13
Mon · Jun 8
The Giant Buddha of Nara
Bow to the deer (they bow back) and meet a 50-foot bronze Buddha
Nara Deer Park
Day trip to Nara — 1,200 sacred deer roam completely free. Buy deer crackers and bow — they bow back. Step inside Todai-ji, the world's largest wooden building, to meet the 50-foot bronze Daibutsu. Don't miss the "enlightenment hole" — squeeze through a pillar opening the size of the Buddha's nostril for good luck.
Todai-ji
Todai-ji Temple
Nara Park
Nara Park
Train to Nara (45 min via JR or Kintetsu). Park and Todai-ji 10 min walk from station. Deer crackers ¥200. Allow half day; return to Kyoto for evening.
14
Tue · Jun 9
Kyoto Free Day
No schedule. No agenda. Just follow your curiosity.
Kamo River
Your day. Sleep in. Wander Nishiki Market — Kyoto's 400-year-old "kitchen." Rent bikes along the Kamo River. Find a hidden temple (Kyoto has over 2,000). Get lost in a department store basement food hall. Or sit in a traditional tea house and watch the world slow down.
Nishiki Market
Nishiki Market
Kyoto
Kyoto by bike
Nishiki Market 5 min walk from Shijo-Karasuma. Bike rentals near most hotels. Good hidden temples: Tofuku-ji, Nanzen-ji (free grounds, beautiful aqueduct).
Part 4
Homeward Bound
Jun 10 – 11 · 2 days
15
Wed · Jun 10
Return to the Hub
One last Shinkansen ride and a ramen farewell
Tokyo Skyline
One final Shinkansen back to Tokyo. Last-minute souvenir missions: Kit Kat flavors at Don Quijote, Pokémon Center for the kids. Farewell dinner: find a ramen shop with a ticket machine and slurp your final bowl. Tsukemen, tonkotsu, or spicy tantanmen?
Ramen
Last-night ramen
Shopping
Souvenir hunting
Tokaido Shinkansen Kyoto → Tokyo (2 hr 15 min). Good shopping: Ikebukuro, Ginza, Akihabara. Station coin lockers for luggage.
16
Thu · Jun 11
Sayonara, Japan
Full hearts, full suitcases, a million memories
Homeward Bound
Pack up, grab one last convenience store onigiri, and take the airport express. You hiked ancient trails, rode bullet trains, fed wild deer, threw shuriken, crossed Shibuya, shot river rapids, and walked through 10,000 gates at dawn. Not bad for 16 days. See you next time, Japan.
Sayonara
Sayonara
Narita Express from Tokyo (~1 hr). Haneda: Tokyo Monorail or Keikyu (~30 min). Arrive 3 hrs before international flights.
Senso-ji Temple at Night
Nakamise-dori
Tokyo After Dark
Yakitori
